What Do the Candidates Think About "No Child Left Behind"?

What are each of the candidates' takes on "No Child Left Behind"? — Alexis, 15, Kittery, ME

Hi Alexis! Thanks for the question. No Child Left Behind was a program President Bush proposed and Congress passed — it's why you have to take all those standardized tests in school all the time! The government wanted a better measure of students' progress, but it's become very controversial over the years. Critics say teachers just teach to the test, meaning you don't get to learn other stuff. And schools that don't perform well on the tests lose funding.

Anyway, the candidates have very different takes on the program. John McCain thinks No Child Left Behind is basically a good program and just needs some minor tweaking. He is more enthusiastic about school choice and letting parents decide where kids go to school. Barack Obama, on the other hand, is calling for an overhaul of the program and wants to bring back more classes like music and art, which disappeared completely at some schools as a result of No Child Left Behind.

Want to hear what the candidates have to say about No Child Left Behind?

Check out this clip of Obama:

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And this one of McCain:

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